How did you do this season?

THIS IS WHAT I WROTE AT THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER...

"Thanksgiving has passed...the holiday that is less stressful. Why should we end up being stressed during the Christmas holiday season? To even make a list of reasons for stress would actually cause us stress. We are determined to make this Christmas one of remembrance and celebration of the Reason for the season in spite of the busyness. One plan is to prayerfully wrap prezzies and prayerfully cook, arrange, and clean the house for each happening. Most important will be to start the day with some quiet time with the Lord. This will center us for the day. Read His word and meditate on it. The Women's Focus Ministry devotionals and other writings will be there for you to use as a part of your quiet time. Have music of the season playing in the background. Take a breather once in a while and send up "feather" prayers whenever He comes into your mind. Remember IT always gets done. Make lists so you don't have to hold it in your mind. It is so wonderful to cross off what you have done. Most of all have a wonderful month of love for God, your family, and your friends. Make it joyful." 

I thought it would be interesting to review my Christmas time endeavers.

• 11/28 - 12/1  Spent four days decorating my house. It looks beautiful. I have loved it, and everyone who came here loved it. Every room has a manger and some have more than one as I have some really beautiful small ones and two big ones. One is the manger that my parents bought their first Christmas in 1941.
• 12/3 - Our neighb0rhood had a progressive dinner that was held in three homes. We hosted the entre part of the dinner. The fellowship in this neighborhood is up 200% thanks to this event.  We all got to know each other better, and we are planning further get togethers in 2011.
• 12/10 - I lead a writers' group. We had our celebration of Christmas at my house. It was a pot luck. During the evenining we also exchanged gifts. We all knew that God was there during the gift exchange. We each picked a name out of a Santa hat and gave our gift to the person whose name we pulled. We each talked about why we had picked the gift we had brought. Without exception we each received a gift that seemed to be meant for us...surely a God thing. We finished up our evening with reading our writes that were based on a theme of Christmas. A good night!
• 12/11 This was the day for our Church Womens' Ministries Christmas luncheon. This traditionally includes women who wish to host a table and decorate it to do so. I did host a table with a theme of mangers and poinsettas. It was beautiful as were ALL the other tables. The event included a trunk sale with gently used clothes donated by many women of the church. It was so much fun, and I spent some money getting some awesome "new" duds. I invited three neighbors who do not attend my church. The four of us and the other friends at the table had a great time.
• 12/15 - This was the biggest blessing of all. I have a cousin who was like a sister to me growing up.  Life and distance of homes kept us from continuing our close relationship for years and years.  Sally came to visit me and will be here until the 31st. Her daughter, Patty, and granddaughter, Brittany, also came on 12/18 to spend a few days. They all fell right in with the program, and it has been easy to have them around. Lots of laughter. Help with wrapping prezzies. A family face with its blessed familiarity.
• 12/16 - Sally, my 7 year old granddaughter, Kieran, and I drove up to Stockton to visit Sally's grandson, Brandon. We took him and a friend out to what we called "Lupper"...a late lunch or early supper...you pick.  I gave the boys each a tie that had a Christmas picture and each played a different Christmas Carol.  Too cute/funny. 
• 12/18 - This was the evening of our Gourmet Christmas party and gift exchage. This group has become like family and we love our monthly gourmet potlucks that always have a theme. This was held at our friend's house, Craig and Jody. It was lovely and we all brough finger appetizers or desserts. The house was beautiful and we exchanged and fought to steal white elephant gifts.
• 12/21 - I take a writing class at which we lovingly call "Tuesdays with Helen." Our last class of this session was a potluck at my house, where I and my fellow students read what we had written. I love this class and hearing the wide variety of readings from the very talented class members. 

THEN WE WERE TO THE ACTUAL TIME OF CHRISTMAS

• 12/24 - Christmas Eve with friends and a neighbor over to join dinner with my hubby, cousin, son and me.
• 12/25 - Christmas Blessed Christmas was here once more. Kieran was supposed to come with her dad...our son, Faruk and mom, Janet, and brother, Michael. Sadly Faruk came down with shingles and they could not come. Our niece Tanya came with her boyfriend and his step mom and step grandmom. We had a nice time, some appetizers and some soup. Later on the four of us had dinner...a small group considering our other celebratios for December.
•  12/26 - The last hurrah! Friends Jody and Craig came to lunch after church. I used leftovers to make open faced sandwiches with gravy and left over pies.  Just got a text from Jody who said that it is a good thing we will be together in eternity where we can talk as much as we want to and not have to leave.

AND LIFE WENT ON AS USUAL...

• Bible study ever Thursday with about five hours prep for each meeting where we were studying Job.
• Writers class every Tuesday that meant that I had to write something.
• Cooking, cleaning and laundry.
• Doc appointment and hair cut
• Adnistrating Gourmet Group, Writers Group, my online  Native American Friends Website, and participating in BBC Poetry Corner...which means writing and commenting on the writings of other members

SO HOW DID I DO???

Well I wrote...

•  "Remember IT always gets done. Make lists so you don't have to hold it in your mind. It is so wonderful to cross off what you have done. Most of all have a wonderful month of love for God, your family, and your friends. Make it joyful."

I cannot claim to have been stress free. You can not do all that I did and not have some degree of stress. However, in the overall picture I passed with at least a B+.

Filled with God's Blessings
Corinne